Pride #2

Towards the tail end of 2022, I embarked on a new round-up review series called Pride, based around musicians and bands from the LGBTQ+ community. As a member of the community myself, I felt it was important to carry on the spirit of the original article, rejuvenating the review series with a host of new acts. As ever, you can find a full playlist at the bottom of this review.

Review by Jane Howkins

Photo by Trans Parent

Trans Parent – Only in My Heart

First up is Trans Parent with electro-pop tune, Only in My Heart. It’s quite an interesting piece of music, as it features an old school synth-pop sound, mixed in with a more modern dream-pop style. The main synth melody is really catchy, bouncing through the piece in a rhythmic way, alongside the up-tempo drums and bass. The vocals are quite unique too, seeing Trans Parent utilising some intriguing vocal effects to create something really distinctive in the modern era – it won’t be for everyone, but those into their more experimental electro-pop sounds will find something to love here.

Social media: Facebook, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, YouTube, Instagram

Giack Bazz – Funny Days

I recently discovered Giack Bazz – now the London-based artist returns with new track, Funny Days. It’s quite stripped-down at first, opening with a pretty, strummed acoustic guitar melody, underpinning Giack’s emotive vocals in a nice way. The rest of the instrumentation soon kicks in, turning the track into more of a classic rock and roll song, more than anything else. What’s apparent from the start is just how catchy Funny Days really is – the main vocal hook should get stuck in your head straight away!

Social media: Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, YouTube, Instagram

Douglas Savage – Black Mould

Douglas Savage is an introspective artist with a lot of heart and soul, as displayed in his new release, Black Mould. It’s actually pretty hard to characterise by genre, as there are a few different styles on offer here, including pop, indie and rock. What’s certain about Black Mould is that it’s an incredibly thoughtful tune, creating a palpable sense of passion, especially on the anthemic chorus that dominates the song. The palm-muted guitars have a great sound underneath the vocals too, building the music up slowly.

Social media: Twitter, Spotify, YouTube, Instagram

kinsley grey – broken sequence

Next up we have kinsley grey and new track, broken sequence. It’s quite an interesting track, as it’s very different from anything I’ve ever heard before. It’s a dreamy pop song with a classic shoegaze sound, due to the fuzzy effects that wrap around the instrumentation, drifting through the music in a cool way. The vocals are pretty spectacular too, adding a nice melodic touch in amongst the heaviness. It won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but give broken sequence a go and you might find yourself surprised!

Social media: Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, YouTube

Shelectro – It’s Creeping In

Next up we have another electro-pop song, although It’s Creeping In has more in common with the modern EDM scene. Curated by singer-songwriter, producer and performer Shelectro, the track has everything needed to dominate the soundwaves. It’s pretty darn catchy, having a steady beat that will get you dancing along in no time. The music sounds fairly minimalist at first, but there’s a lot more going on than first meets the ear – the synth chords are great and the repeated chorus refrain is really hooky.

Social media: Facebook, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, YouTube, Instagram

Ettie – Last Best Lover

We have something slightly different for you now in the form of Last Best Lover, created by singer-songwriter Ettie. It’s a pop-punk song that is admittedly more pop at times, although there’s still enough here to appeal to fans across the genre spectrum. The track has a great energy, seeing Ettie use some cool palm-muted guitar chords on the verses, slowly building up towards the anthemic chorus. The production is a little raw at times, but it’s still clear to see that Ettie is incredibly talented, promising great things for her future.

Social media: Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Instagram, TikTok

Norine Braun – Quest Before Me

Next up we have Canadian artist Norine Braun with her signature funky folk-blues sound, shown on new release Quest Before Me. As you might have guessed from that description, it’s a track that blends a few genres and styles together, whilst still retaining a poppy vibe. The music is mellow and groovy, including a funky bassline and some pretty piano notes, alongside the fast beat. Norine’s vocals are pretty good too – they’re a little different to what you might normally expect from a soul song, but they work really well here!

Social media: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, YouTube, Instagram

The Heroic Enthusiasts – You Don’t Own Me (Enthusiastic Mix)

We’ve featured The Heroic Enthusiasts before – now the synth-pop duo are back with a remix of the Lesley Gore song, You Don’t Own Me. As you might have guessed from this info, it’s an upbeat song with an EDM vibe, as well as elements of the classic synth-pop genre. I’m not normally a massive fan of vocal effects in modern music, but they’re used exceedingly well here, belting the lyrics out. A range of interesting backing effects can also be heard against the drums, bass and synths too, so make sure you listen hard to take everything in!

Social media: Website, Facebook, Spotify, YouTube, Instagram

Che Arthur – No Harbor

Chicago artist Che Arthur has performed in a few bands – now he’s embarking on a solo career with new tune, No Harbor. It’s one of the heavier songs on this list, having elements of punk and alt-rock. Che’s vocals are a little harsh sounding too, although they suit the style of music well, making everything sound really atmospheric. The guitars are pretty impressive too, mixing heaviness and melody in equal measures to appeal more widely. It’s jam-packed with killer energy from the start, ending abruptly with a triumphant drum beat.

Social media: Website, Facebook, Spotify, Bandcamp, Instagram

Stewart Taylor – Nightmares

Finally, we have Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and dancer Stewart Taylor with his gorgeous new tune, Nightmares. It’s poppy but is probably best described as an r&b song, mixing in elements of the classic and modern scenes. The first thing that really struck me here is how soulful Stewart’s vocals are, absolutely dominating the tune, despite the high quality of the music. It’s a bit of a slow burner until the chorus hits, exploding in fine style and Stewart’s vocals rise up to an even higher pitch!

Social media: Website, Facebook, Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok